A great article – with more news about Andy McNab’s upcoming projects!

Lunch with the FT: Andy McNab
By Max Hastings
Published: June 5 2010

A defence journalist who knows McNab has said, “With Andy, everything is business.” He hustles relentlessly, and has become an eager entrepreneur. As well as owning stakes in a security company and a recruitment company (of which he is a director), he is now backing a business called Ghost Speaker, which encrypts digital content for mobile phones and electronic readers. How did that one happen? “A night out with a friend who said, ‘It’s the way ahead.’” The friend was almost certainly right. “We’re just doing a deal with Currys and Dixons.”

But McNab never forgets his core product: “The most important thing is the writing – that’s what makes everything else happen.” He works six hours a day dictating his books, and is thrilled that he has been asked to direct a film of one of them, Boy Soldier.

“Success gives you opportunities, choice. How else could I have been asked to do a film? I told them, ‘I know nothing about directing.’ They said, ‘Don’t worry – you’ll have a really good cameraman.’”

Do you believe gay people need to be ‘cured?’ That more religion in government would be a good thing? That the UK would benefit from electing its own homegrown George W. Bush? So does Andy McNab, apparently, because he’s wholeheartedly supporting the Tory cause this time around.

Now, normally neither Andy nor this website is very political — in fact, Andy has said that though he killed IRA fighters in NI, he would have probably fought for the IRA had he grown up in NI! In other words, he would –and did– kill someone over an ideology he himself would advocate if he moved a few miles west. And though he has lamented the lack of education he received as a child in a desperately-poor South London, he’s never addressed why those conditions existed or how they can be changed. So, traditionally, McNab hasn’t been a very publicly political guy.The question, then, is what has changed? Why is he now publicly supporting privileged half-wit Cameron? If you ask Andy, it’s all about ‘supporting the troops,’ that now-semi-religious mantra that has replaced old-fashioned ‘patriotism’ as the last refuge of scoundrels.

Supporting the troops is of course a good idea in general and no normal person –or party– is opposed to it. For instance, not participating in illegal wars and occupations that do nothing for your country would be a good way to support the troops, so that must be what Andy means, right? Wrong. Andy McNab has never met a war he didn’t like, and in fact his whole ‘support’ for the troops comes down to giving them shiny kit and treating their PTSD — the PTSD caused by witnessing and/or participating in the horrors of war. With Andy, it’s all about what you do for the troops after providing them the ‘opportunity’ to fight, die, maim, and be maimed for the benefit of a wealthy elite.

With PTSD ‘in the picture’ these days (which is good!!) it seems to become the general consensus that every single case of a soldier committing violent crimes at home is a direct result of PTSD. It’s simply impossible that some just are psychopaths and arseholes (see worthless piece of shit Dr. Thomas Shanks), and preventing PTSD (by not asking people to commit atrocities) is of course out of the question. We at greymansland have been raising awareness about PTSD long before Andy did, and it’s a serious issue, but while we must treat it we should also treat the root causes.
Andy McNab doesn’t see it that way. In Andy’s world, a soldier achieves nobility by having no personal morality (see the Nuremberg ‘just following orders’ excuse), and whoever shouts ‘I love the troops’ loudest is of course the person to support — after all, a politician wouldn’t lie.

Am I suggesting that Andy McNab is a bit thick, that he’s fallen for jingoism and class warfare tactics? Yes. Andy McNab has always prided himself on being a pawn, one who will simply do what he’s told and have no personal morality of his own. He’s also demonstrated a deep sense of needing to belong to a group, preferably one that excludes ‘outsiders.’ The perfect Tory voter!

[Editorial note: That will be the last of the politics here. We’re all Andy McNab fans and the opinion of one GML staffer does not reflect the opinion of greymansland.com as a whole. Andy McNab chose to publicly enter the political arena and as a result his political opinions are being publicly discussed. If you don’t like that, go to the ‘official’ website and get no opinions, no new info, fake forum links, and some ringtones.]

“ForceSelect is attracting the calibre of people with the capability and ‘can do’ attitude that UK businesses need to succeed in this economic climate.” ~Andy McNab DCM MM

COMPANY
In May 2009 whilst cycling to Paris on behalf of Help For Heroes, Hugh Andrée wondered what more he could do to help service leavers. Having made the transition from the Armed Forces to civilian life some twelve years earlier, he remembered all too well the uncertainties and loneliness that confronted him. It soon became obvious that there was an opportunity to provide both service leavers and working veterans with a recruitment offering and support system that was tailored to look after their specific needs, and was staffed by individuals who had served in the forces and successfully made the transition into civilian life.

The business model was established with three key components: recruitment, support and mentoring and charitable donations through the ForceSelect Foundation.

In July 2009 Lucy Wood agreed to become Managing Director of ForceSelect, responsible for day-to-day operations. Lucy served with the Royal Artillery for six years before entering the world or recruitment in 1998.

In August 2009 ForceSelect was delighted when Andy McNab DCM MM agreed to join as a Director of ForceSelect. Since leaving the Army in 1993, Andy has gone on to become one of the most successful British writers of our generation as well as a successful businessman and investor.

2009 finished on a real high with General Sir Mike Jackson GCB CBE DSO DL agreeing to join the company as Non Executive Director and the MoD agreeing to recognise and support the company.

ForceSelect now has a team of highly experienced recruitment professionals and ex- service personnel in place who manage and develop the business to provide the necessary understanding and guidance to both job seekers and employers. It is our intention that forces personnel, the MoD, service charities and of course the wider business community should benefit from the services provided by ForceSelect.

The Sun today marches to the rescue of 50,000 unemployed ex-Forces personnel with our latest groundbreaking campaign – Jobs for Heroes.
Experts fear thousands of former Servicemen and women end up on the dole or doing dead-end, depressing and demeaning jobs after coming out into Civvy Street.

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IF you are a sailor, soldier or airman leaving the Forces and want to apply for a job, log on to www.forceselect.com

IF you are a company with a vacancy you can offer to one of our brave ex-Servicemen or women, please send your details by email to info@forceselect.com

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We REFUSE to see such proud individuals – many of whom have risked their lives on combat front lines – ignored and undervalued by employers.

So we have teamed up with expert recruiters just waiting to place an army of heroes in fulfilling careers which they not only deserve, but which will be suited to their unique specialist skills.

(…)

Former SAS hero-turned-author Andy McNab is director of ForceSelect and former Army chief General Sir Mike Jackson is a non-executive director.

General Sir Mike said: “I believe that ForceSelect is going to make a tremendous contribution to helping people.

“Not only will ForceSelect find Service leavers new jobs and careers, but it will also give them mentoring and support – including financial and accommodation advice – to help make the transition.”

ForceSelect has also launched a charitable foundation where sums of money will be distributed to Forces good causes.

Troops’ top skills
By David Willetss

SAS hero and ForceSelect director Andy McNab last night explained some of the challenges faced by troops entering Civvy Street.

He said many don’t understand their potential and what fantastic skills they can offer employers.

Andy added: “There is trepidation and often the longer they have served the harder it is to get out. Many settle for sub-standard jobs or take temporary options. What they need and deserve are real jobs with a good salary and good prospects. ForceSelect is aimed at getting proper jobs for Our Boys.

Businesses are not feeling sorry for our Servicemen and women, they are realising the qualities and skills these people have. If you’re the right person for the post, Jobs for Heroes is going to get you in.”

Nick Stone Movie Is On The Way – Echelon is based on Andy McNab’s novels

Move over, Jason Bourne – there’s a new movie spy in town, and his name is Nick Stone.

Stone, in case you didn’t know, is the hero of the long-running series of novels by ex-SAS hardnut and Heat shoot-out co-ordinator, Andy McNab. In the ultimate example of ‘write-what-you-know’, Stone is also an ex-SAS hardnut, constantly getting mixed up in all sorts of political intrigue that warrant solving with extreme violence.

So far the Stone series has stretched to twelve books, the rights to which have just been snapped up by Hyde Park and casting director-turned-producer, Bonnie Timmerman. Timmerman first bought the rights in the mid-90s, sold them to Harvey Weinstein in 2001, and has now got them back again after they were allowed to lapse.

The first Stone movie in the works is an adaptation of the third novel, Firewall, which will be renamed Echelon for the silver screen (presumably to avoid people confusing it with the Harrison Ford clunker of the same name). And yes, they’re talking franchise…

Firew – sorry, Echelon will see Stone team up with a female cryptographer (shades of Dan Brown) to infiltrate a computer facility that could jeopardise global security. Action! Intrigue! Hot ladies! It’s got it all.

The script has been written by McNab himself and a fellow called John Connor who, with a name like that, was simply born to write action movies. Ashok Amritraj, head of Hyde Park, will produce along with Timmerman.

Sounds like it could be promising, although we won’t be happy until Jack Reacher has stomped, punched and grimaced his way onto the big screen…

To be sceptical.. or hopefull?? Starting in 2001 this news has reached us in numerous variations. For a long time Crisis Four was the one to be adapted into a movie. Then, in 2005 Andy himself said in an exclusive interview with Grey Man’s Land: “The one thing I’ve learnt about Hollywood is that there has to be a lot of meetings before anyone can even decide if they want sugar in their coffee.”

BUT.. things really seem to be happening for real now. ‘Echelon’ – based on Firewall. We’re going to be hopefull!

Variety
March 17, 2010
By Tatiana Siegel

Hyde Park buys Nick Stone rights – Production company targets Andy McNab book series as franchise

Hyde Park has acquired the rights to Brit author Andy McNab’s Nick Stone espionage novels and is eyeing the series as a potential franchise.
The first pic will be “Echelon,” which is based on McNab’s novel “Firewall” and is the third of 12 books in the series. “Echelon” will mark the first pic to be financed under the Hyde Park/Imagenation pact; the two companies recently partnered on a $250 million deal to develop, produce and distribute up to 20 films over seven years.

Veteran casting agent Bonnie Timmerman, who acquired the rights to the series in mid-1990s, is producing alongside Hyde Park topper Ashok Amritraj. Timmerman, whose producing credits include the Nicole Kidman starrer “Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus,” sold the rights to the novels in July 2001 to Harvey Weinstein, who tried for years to get a Nick Stone project off the ground, but spy pics turned cold in a post-9/11 world and Weinstein eventually let the rights lapse.

In “Echelon,” soldier of fortune Nick Stone, paired with a street-smart female cryptographer, is hired to infiltrate a computer facility poised to breach a secret global surveillance system.

McNab and John Connor, who together penned the script, are exec producing along with Imagenation’s Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei and Edward Borgerding. Imagenation’s Stefan Brunner will serve as associate producer. Hyde Park’s Patrick Aiello is shepherding the pic.

“I’ve been a fan of the Nick Stone stories for years, as they are a rich and unique source for a contemporary action-thriller,” said Amritraj, who likened the series to Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne novels.